Harushima

A quiet town that most new Trainers come through on their treks through the exotic islands of Harushima. The town is situated near the coast of the main land hence why it serves as the starting point in the Journey of many. A Pokemon Laboratory is situated within the town itself as the numerous Assistants and Professors eagerly assist any Hopeful wishing to familiarize themselves in the world of Pokemon.

Route 01 is usually embraced by warm sunshine and the salty breeze always caresses the flat landscape as the winds pass from sea to land. The majority of this route (which is a worn dirt path from the heavy traffic) is within eyeshot of the beach, and many travelers cannot resist the siren call of the tropical waters and pause for a swim. Tall, tropical grasses and flowers can be found on the northern side of the path while the white sand beach and ocean lay to the south. Towering palm trees provide intermittent and small patches of shade if a wary traveler needs a rest. This route connects Fairburn Town to Jade City by traveling North.

A large city that is known for its wildlife preservation and the home of the Mirror Gym. The town itself is famous for it being friendly towards the surrounding ecosystem as well as the residents striving to preserve nature for the innate beauty it brings. The buildings themselves are mostly constructed of a sturdy wood except for those in possession of high technology such as the Item Shop and Pokemon Center. Even then, you will notice that plants of all types are present throughout the town itself, further projecting its image as a “Nature Town.”

Route 02 exits north from Jade City and is generously embraced in foliage, thanks to the city it's branching from. Wildlife of all kinds can be heard chatting about in the background, and there’s never a shortage of healthy plants to look at. About halfway through, the real forest emerges. Chrysolite forest must be ventured through on this route before it can be continued towards Slate City. One can tell when they’re reaching the end of the forest because the plants drastically begin to thin. Within minutes, there are no plants at all; only endless desert with the silhouette of Slate City on the horizon.

Going East from Jade City will place you onto Route 03; a run down path cutting through seemingly endless valleys of high grass. As one continues along the path, they’ll notice the plant life changing from simple blades of grass into much thicker stalks of bamboo. A turn and twist later will bring one to a fork in the path. Taking the right turn will bring them to the gates of Rhodo Town, while continuing north will bring them to Slate City.

Full of cobblestone walkways and rock-crafted homes, it would feel almost as if one took a step back in time. While the residents of Slate City are by no means technologically behind, they choose to live the way their ancestors did, and all residents are happy that way. The open markets are very refreshing to go by every now and again to browse the exotic desert fruit on display, or smell the freshly baked bread. Sand storms unfortunately are known to happen every now and again, but they have the right tools to predict such things usually an hour before they occur, which gives everyone plenty of time to get somewhere safe. Slate City is home to the Fire Gym, designed to look like a great pyramid. Just outside the city are ruins, open to be explored.

Unlike previous routes, Route 05 is incredibly well cared for. The walks are well paved, and certain slopes even have stairs to make traveling them a bit easier. The whole thing seems like a well kept public park actually, what with railing to go with the stairs, and some of the trees and shrubbery have clearly been pruned by a professional, for nothing grows so perfectly cut naturally. Following the winding path will lead you to Flint City.

A town that is known for its strong Asian influenced culture, as well as the home of the Balance Gym. Almost all structures are done in the traditional Pagoda style building, save for the more mundane structures like Pokemon centers. Rhodo is also a rather popular tourist town, holding various yearly festivals, and the food is always to die for. Those that live in this town tend to wear traditional Asian clothing, and of course, such objects are sold as well. A temple resides at the outskirts of the town where the residents may pray to and make offerings to their god of rice and coins.

From grass, to bamboo, and back to grass, Route 04 offers a much more ‘trimmed’ version of an earlier route. The fields of grass are kept short by both machine and livestock, and often cows and horses can be seen out grazing, their owners near to keep a close watch. The breezes that roll across the hills are pleasant (though the smell of barn animal that it tends to carry with it isn’t always). Going South on the route will lead to Hematite Town, where as heading north will cause it to merge into Route 06. From there, one can either continue to head north to Flint City, or go East to Citrine Town.

A city known for its festive nightlife as well as the home of the Dark Gym. Casinos, shops, hotels and other lavish buildings are prevalent within the city itself, making it popular for those who wish to go and have a good time. Shady organizations seem to settle headquarters within the city though it’s difficult to differentiate their base of operation apart from the multitudes of buildings present within the city.

Route 06 is taken by exiting east from Flint City. The path starts out much the same as Route 5; well groomed and overall pleasant. After the intersection with Route 04, the path slowly becomes… much less lively. Not so much because things are dying, just because everything becomes so eerily quite. Not a bird chirps, and it seems that not even the wind dares to disturb the overgrown ivy on the walk way. Continuing on this path will lead to Citrine Town.

A peaceful farm town, this place is free of a pokemon gym, but still has the necessary Pokemon center and shop. Windmills are dominant in the town, supplying the town with its power, and overall being a very soothing thing to sit and watch. While there may be a chicken coop here and there, the bigger ranches are kept outside of town, fully loaded with horses, sheep and cows.

A small, beautiful town filled with countless amounts of flowers. In fact, you can smell the sweet aroma the moment you’re inside three feet. Colors are always radiant; even in the cooler times of year, residents seem to be able to find flowers that can withstand the bitter cold. Rosequartz is known to be home to both a Pokemon Laboratory, and one of the biggest Contest Halls the land has to offer.

Route 09 begins west of Rosequartz Town and almost feels like a walk through a tropical paradise, not because there’s a bunch of lavish scenery, but because of how humid the area is. The air is always thick with moisture, and just being in it too long makes you feel sticky and in desperate need of a shower. The plant and water pokemon absolutely adore it however, making this a prime place to find those kind of creatures. Thankfully, the path is rather short and easy to navigate, ending in Hematite Town.

Route 08 is reached either by reaching it from Route 07, or by heading north from Rosequartz Town. From Rosequartz, the path starts out lush with plantlife, but quickly all turns to muddy roads as the path draws closer to the water’s edge. At the waters edge is an easily over looked pathway, indicated only by a few stray roadsigns and the unmarked stone entryway. The caverns are dimly lit, submerged completely in water. Opening in the save – covered by thick sheets of glass – allow travelers to look up into the sea for a spectacular view. It’s a long walk, but always worth it, for the sites offered in Kunzite are simply stunning.

While it is on the smaller side in size, it doesn’t prevent Citrine from being home to one of the eight pokemon gyms in the land, specifically that of the Ghost variety. The residents of Citrine are very humble and generous, offering hospitality even to the rudest of individuals that pass through their home. However, after a rumor spread that a traveler grew deathly ill after being cruel to the residents, many people began to think the citizens of Citrine practiced witch craft. Other people just called it karma. Another interesting part of the city is the mausoleum, which has the pokemon gym built directly above it. Some find it extremely disrespectful, while others see it as a notable tribute to fallen pokemon and trainers alike

This route exits from both north and south of Citrine town. The north path quickly becomes dangerous and rocky, creeping up the mountainside to reach the Obsidian caves. The safest path, courtesy of hikers, has been marked with brightly colored flag. Regardless, travels are warned to watch their step, and use the utmost caution. If one instead chooses to go south, the serene path begins to change into a muddy area, almost swamp-like, having to stick to rickety boardwalks lest they sink knee deep into the mud. The southern path of Route Seven intersects with Route 08, where another choice in direction must be made: west to Rosequartz, or east to the submerged path of Kunzite.

Sometimes referred to as “Route Twelve” the Obsidian Caves are the only way by foot to reach the cities of Almandine and Sylvite. The caves really aren’t as intimidating as they sound. The main path is lit by torches to help travelers get through, and should those ever go out, small light line the formed bath. There are, of course, many other unexplored parts of the caves, but it isn’t recommended for inexperienced travelers to try and discover something new on their own. If you get lost or trapped, there’s no way for anyone to know. Going right at the paths fork will take you to Almandine, while going left will take you down the slightly longer path to Sylvite.

Located up in the mountains, Almandine is a city heavily influenced by art and archeology. The city is home to not just one, but two museums; one dedicated to artwork, while the other is home to various fossils recovered from the mountainside. The museums attract plenty of attention on their own, but another thing that draws younger beings here, is that Almandine is also home to a Pokemon Laboratory, ready to set individuals up with their first pokemon so that they too can set out on their own quest.

A city known for its frigid temperatures and is also home to the Ice Gym. The climate usually remains on the cold side throughout the year however during Spring and Summer, the cold climate is mitigated allowing for warm temperatures to arrive every now and then. The presence of Auroras also draw travelers to this icy town, hoping to see the heavenly lights light up the night sky.

Kunzite City is a place that is sometimes passed over completely by travelers unless they study their map carefully and pay attention to the signs on the routes. You would think a city would be pretty hard to just skip over, but the fact of the matter is that Kunzite is completely submerged underwater. It had originally started as an aquatic research laboratory, but began expanding to accompany those that wanted to escape above ground city life. Everything is encompassed in a large, plastic dome, the encasing incredibly thick to deal both with water pressure, and any cracks that conflicts may cause. Kunzite is also home to a trainer gym that specializes in water pokemon. The city can be accessed through special tunnels branched off of routes, which is a lengthy travel, or through a special submarine route for a small fee.

A painfully long Route that is walked by heading west out of Kunzite. The design is much the same as Route 8, but because of the sheer length, residents are usually kind enough to offer scooter rides to the end of the Route, which will bring the traveler to the furthest bit of land in the Amber Isles. A boat ride or swimming will be necessary to get to civilization, but the help certainly cuts the time in half.

Amber Isle actually consists of a few small islands, connected both through bridge and boat route. The isles are heavily industrialized, with one of the isles housing nothing but one huge power plant. Energy is drawn both from the machines they have programmed, as well as the active volcano. Yes, working so near to such a thing is highly dangerous, but it’s a risk the workers are willing to take to support their family. Amber Isle is responsible for the Poison Gym, located within the industrial park.

Route 11 branches South from Fairburn. There’s about a half mile of pleasant walking on a warm beach, then the path drops completely into water. One must either swim, ride a pokemon, or make use of the ferry service if they have the money to spend. Despite the absence of a solid road, the travel along this route to the Amber Isle is almost always pleasant sunshine. Very rarely are there any serious storms, what with a drizzle of rain being just as rare. The route ends when the Amber Isles are reached.